José Antonio Rueda entered the Moto3 World Championship last year with the expectation of being one of the great talents for the future after winning titles in the FIM CEV Moto3 (now FIM JuniorGP) and the Red Bull Rookies Cup. However, he has faced some difficulties in the category.
In 2023, he started promisingly with a fourth-place finish, but he was far from being a regular contender for the top positions and only scored one podium – finishing third in Barcelona. This year began with a retirement in Qatar, but the Portuguese Grand Prix was much more encouraging with a pole position and a second-place finish.
Nevertheless, the difficulties he has had in replicating the success of the categories he competed in before persist. Rueda himself admitted them in an interview with Manuel Peccino, stating:
– It’s complicated, I was perfect before, but it was complicated; we finished ninth with many points [in the 2023 season]. That was also the experience to be able to finish races and understand how the bike works. We will continue to work and enjoying.
Now, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider has more experience, and when asked if he is benefiting from the learning he gained in his debut season, the response was clear: ‘Yes, yes, I learned a lot in the team, and we have to take that and bring it to the track’.